About
Mustard oil is a vegetable oil pressed or extracted from mustard seeds (Brassica juncea or related species), widely used as a cooking medium and flavouring agent in South Asian cuisine. It is characterised by a high erucic acid content (20–40% of total fatty acids in traditional varieties) as well as alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3), giving it a pungent flavour and distinct nutritional profile.
Safety summary
The primary safety concern with mustard oil is its naturally high erucic acid content; animal studies identify the heart as the principal target organ, with myocardial lipidosis as the critical chronic effect. EFSA established a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 7 mg erucic acid per kg body weight per day in 2016, and average adult exposure from typical diets is generally below this level. The FDA restricts the sale of expressed mustard oil as a cooking oil in the US due to erucic acid concerns, while India permits it as a traditional edible oil under FSSAI standards with a ban on blending with other oils to prevent adulteration.
Regulatory landscape
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Restricted | Mustard oil is permitted as a food ingredient in the EU but is subject to maximum erucic acid limits. General vegetable oils are capped at 20 g/kg erucic acid (as % of total fatty acids); a separate higher limit of 300 g/kg is proposed for mustard oil used specifically as a gastronomy flavouring. The TDI for erucic acid is 7 mg/kg bw/day. Limits for infant formula are set 5× lower. Erucic acid classified as a contaminant requiring monitoring.source |
| Food Standards Agency (FSA) / Food Standards Scotland (FSS) (United Kingdom) | Restricted | The UK FSA adopted the EFSA 2016 TDI of 7 mg/kg bw/day for erucic acid as the basis for risk assessment post-Brexit. Mustard oil is permitted but erucic acid levels are monitored; the FSA conducted a rapid risk assessment in 2022 regarding erucic acid exposure.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Restricted | Expressed mustard oil (pressed from mustard seed, used as cooking oil) is subject to FDA Import Alert 26-04; it may be detained without physical examination due to erucic acid content of 20–40%. It is NOT approved as a cooking oil. Volatile/essential mustard oil (steam-distilled) is GRAS as a flavouring agent under 21 CFR 182.20.source |
| FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia) |
Who should approach with care
Research citations
- 1FSANZ. Erucic Acid in Food: A Toxicological Review and Risk Assessment. foodstandards.gov.au
- 2FDA. Import Alert 26-04: Detention Without Physical Examination of Expressed Mustard Oil, 2026. accessdata.fda.gov
- 3PubMed. Erucic acid exposure during the first year of life—Scenarios with precise food-based dietary guidelines (PMC8751447), 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4FSSAI. Ban on blending of mustard oil with any other oil – FSSAI Direction (September 2020), 2020. fssai.gov.in
- 5EFSA. Erucic acid in feed and food – Scientific Opinion of the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM), 2016. efsa.europa.eu
